Vertically divided forging press frame



March 3, 1959 w. A. EHLERT VERTICALLY nzvxman FORGING PRESS FRAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8. 1954 INVENTOR. WILL /AM A. fHLfRT A TTQEMEAi March 3, 1959 w. A. EHLERT VERTICALLY nmnan FORGING PRESS FRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8. 1954 W M 5 w L T a r A YA M A MM flu. M

W. A. EHLERT VERTICALLY DIVIDED FORGING PRESS FRAME March 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 8, 1954 IN V EN TOR. w/z L IA M A EHLERT nrroeA/cyp- United States Patent VERTICALLY DIVIDED FORGING PRESS FRAME William A. Ehlert, South Euclid, ()hio, .assignor to The Ajax Manufacturing Company, Euclid, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 8, 1954, Serial No. 408,710

2 Claims. (CI. 78-44) This invention relates as indicated to a novel frame construction for forging presses and the like, and more particularly to a frame which is vertically divided into two principal sections.

In the manufacture of many machines, and especially in the case of forging presses, it has been found to be very desirable to cast the frame in a single piece since the alignment of bearings, the parallel relationship of ways and the general rigidity of all members may then be more readily and accurately maintained. There has, however, been a steady tendency toward the development of larger and larger forging pressures with a re sultant increase in the difficulty of founding and transporting the very large castings required. A 6,000 ton press with a unitary main frame has recently been constructed but appears to represent the maximum size feasible employing such unitary frame. There are not avail able adequate foundry and transportation facilities for handling unitary frame of larger machines. On the other hand, as above indicated, such unitary frames have various substantial advantages, and it is accordingly an object of my present invention to provide a divided frame which may be more readily cast and transported and Which will also have to a large extent such desirable attributes of the unitary frame.

.Some forging presses have been constructed in the past employing horizontally sectional frames with such sections held together by immense vertical tie rods. Such tie rods, however, tend to distort the frame sections, and it is very difficult to maintain proper parallelism between Shafts journalled in frames of this type. Moreover, such massive construction is necessary that the total weight of the sectional frame and tie rods will considerably exceed that of a one-piece frame in a comparable press. It is accordingly a further object of my invention to provided a sectional frame which will eliminate the necessity of employing such vertical tie rods and which will be subjected to a minimum of distortion in use.

In operation, the forging head of a forging press is reciprocated in vertical ways and carries a pallet or die which engages the Work supported on the lower die. In a forging press, as contrasted to a forging hammer for example, such lower die is supported by the press frame itself and not on an independent base. There is accordingly an extreme tension exerted on the longitudinal members of the press frame during theforging operation and a tendency to spread the base of the frame. further object of my invention to provide a vertically divided frame with a novel die seat interconnecting the base portions of the frame members in a manner to rigidify the latter.

Other objects of the invention include provision of means joining the lower end portions of the frame members in a manner to prevent relative vertical movement, spreading movement or front-toback movement of the same.

Still another object is to provide such :means which will also support the anvil (which in turn supports the lower It is a" 2,875,652 Patented vMar. 3, 1959.

2 die) in ,a manner preventing tilting under the heavy pressures imposed.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In saidannexed drawing:

Fig.1 is a side e'levationa'l view-of aforgingpress frame embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the frame of 'Fig. 1,;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the frame of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 on Fig. ,3;

'Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the lower portion of a press frame comprising another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the frame of 'Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 on Fig. 6.

In general construction and operation, the forging machine to which the present invention relates is of wellknown type manufactured by 'The Ajax Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and reference maybe .had to Criley Patents 2,032,836, 2,141,951 and 2,245,573 for a general description of such machines and certain associated mechanism. In accordance with my invention, the main frame comprises two half sections l and 2 extending the height of the machine to which a back frame member 3 may be bolted carrying the bearings 4 for the drive shaft D. Bearings 5 and 6 in the main frame members 1 and 2 journal the eccentric main shaft S whereby the ram R is adapted to be reciprocated in vertical ways 7 and 8. Flywheel W is driven by electric motor M and main shaft S is automatically stopped at the end of each cycle by brake vB, with the ram in raised position.

The upper ends of the frarnemembers 1 and 2 forming the head of the machine are opposed and closely .fitted together with a horizontal tongue and groove assembly 9, large bolts 10 and 11 securing the members together. The bases of uprights 1 and 2 are formed with pairs of opposed flanges 12, 13 and 14, 15 adapted to embrace a massive anvil 16 therebetween. Tension rods 17 and 18 pass through such flanges and the lower portion of anvil l6 and are tensioned by means of nuts on the ends thereof. Screws 19, 20 and 21, 22 are inserted in such flanges and threaded into holes tapped in anvil 16, like wise being tensioned by nuts on the outer ends thereof. Rods l7 and 18 are provided with clearance in both the side frame members and the anvil, and the screws 19., 20 and 21, 22 are similarly provided with clearance in such side frame members. Their function is to hold this threepart assembly tightly together and to prevent lateral spreading of the same under the .force of the ram squeeze. The nuts on the ends of such rods and screws will be turned down to tension the same sufficiently for this purpose.

The lower portions of frame members 1 and 2 are apertured as is anvil 1610 receive a large transverse pin 23 threaded at its ends to take nuts 24 and 25 respectively. Pin 23 will preferably be of substantially the same diameter as the main shaft journalled in bearings 5 and 6 since it is designed to take substantially the same thrust, although of course it does not rotate. Tapered 3 wedges 26 and 27 fit in keyway slots and are adapted to bear upon the upper surface of pin 23 to force the latter firmly against the lower sides of its hearings in frame members 1 and 2, taking .up any slight degree of play. Small screws such as 28 may be employed to hold such wedges securely in position.

The fit between pin'23 and anvil 16 will be extremely close, preferably a shrink fit so that the end portions of pin 23. protruding therefrom may in effect be considered trunnions. Anvil 16, of course, carries the sloping wedge seat 29' which is adapted to support the usual wedge and die in proper position.

As shownin Fig. l, the main shaft bearings and 6 may be mounted in cast iron sleeves 30 and 31 under which tapered'wedges such as 32 (Fig. 1) may be inserted. These wedges have the effect of forcing the sleeves firmlyupwardly against frame members 1 and 2 so'that the only play .in the mounting of the main shaft is afforded by the'film of lubricant between such shaft andits bearings. I

The back 'shaft housing frame 3 extends upwardly from the base of the machine and is securely bolted to the and lateral wedges is to secure the anvil against any tilting or rocking movement under the extreme pressures imposed thereon, this frequently being a series problem in high capacity forging presses when accurate work is desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing that in both embodiments of my invention illustrated and described, I employ trunnion basemembers (unitary or assembled) to secure together the lower end or base portions of my vertically divided frame in a manner effective to obtain substantially the advantages of a unitary cast frame. In the Fig. 1 form the key wedges 26 and 27 and the side flanges on the bases of the frame members help prevent tilting of the anvil, and in the Fig. 5 form the rectangular backs of main frame members 1 and 2. Consequently,

such back shaft or pinion shaft is journalled in a unitary frame member so that alignment of the spaced bearings therefor is readily maintained as well as parallelism between such shaft and the main shaft jouralled in bearings 5 and 6.

Now referring more particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawing,a modified form of forging press is there shown in which the two side frame members 33 and 34 are joined in their upper portions (not shown) in the same general manner as in the Fig. 2 embodiment. The lower or base portions of such frame members are joined by a truunion bearing anvil 35 resembling anvil 16 in this respect. but otherwise differing in certain particulars. A back frame member 36 generally comparable to frame member 3 is similarly secured to the main frame assembly just described.

Tension rods 37 and 38 pass through the lower ends of side frame members 33 and 34 and the interposed anvil member 35 (a certain degree of clearance being provided) and such rods are tensioned by means of nuts 39, 40, 41 and 42 to draw the lower ends of the side frame members firmly against the base portion of the anvil.

The side frame members are provided with opposed inwardly projecting feet or abutments 43 and 44 which are thus held firmly against against the lower portion of anvil 35. Such abutments, moreover, have upper surfaces 45 and 46 sloping upwardly toward their respective inner ends interengaged with correspondingly inclined lower surface portions of anvil 35. It will thus be seen that the anvil serves to interlock the base portions of side frame members 33 and 34 in a manner not only supplementing the action of tension rods 37 and 38, but also designed to resist the normal spreading action tending to occur when the forging press is operated. In fact, the wedging action of the anvil 35 when the latter is pressed downwardly actually serves to draw the abutments 43 and 44 toward one another.

Frame members 33 and 34 are apertured as at 47 to receive generally rectangular trunnions 48 and 49 on anvil 35. Such trunnions are respectively engaged by upper wedges 50, 51 and lateral wedges 52, 53 whereby such trunnions and accordingly anvil 35 may be held forcibly pressed down against their seats on side frame members 33 and 34. Accordingly, there is no substantial play between these parts when the press is operated and extreme downward pressures are exerted upon the anvil. The lateral wedges 52 and 53 not only facilitate interfitting of the parts but also prevent any slight play which would permit objectionable front-to-back movement of the anvil. A further combined function of the upper trunnions with wedges 50, 51, 52 and 53 and the abutmerits 43 and 44 serve a similar function. Massive nuts 24 and prevent spreading of the base portions of the Fig. 1 side frame members and tension rods 37 and 38 and the sloping surfaces 45, 46 perform a like service in the Fig. 5 embodiment. The one-piece back frame members 3 and 36 extend a major portion of the vertical length of the side frame members and are rigidly joined thereto, thereby further connecting and rigidifying the latter. Parallelism of the drive shaft D and main shaft S is accordingly readily maintained.

As a result of my novel frame construction it. is now practicable to build forging presses in excess of 6,000

tons capacity with resultant important manufacturing economies. The frame members may be cast by known techniques with presently available facilities, and transportation and assembly and disassembly of the parts is relatively easy. No vertical tie rods are employed to distort frame segments, the frame components still being unitary and continuous throughout their extent subjected to tensioning by the forging operation. The vertically divided frame members are interconnected in a manner to ensure maintenance of their proper relationships within close tolerances.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the 'de tails described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a forging machine, two individual side frame members having inwardly projecting abutments near their lower ends, the top surface of said abutments sloping laterally upwardly and an anvil fitting betweenthe lower end portions of said side frame members, said anvil having lower surface portions sloping laterally downwardly toward said side frame members complementary to and bearing upon the top surface of said abutments, whereby downwardly applied pressure imposed on the upper surface of said anvil will serve to draw both said side frame members toward said anvil.

2. In a forging machine, two individual side frame members having inwardly projecting abutments near their lower ends, the top surface of said abutments sloping laterally upwardly, and an anvil fitting between the lower end portions of said side frame members, said anvil having lower surface portions sloping laterally downwardly toward said side frame members complementary to and bearing upon the top surface of said abutments, whereby downwardly applied pressure imposed on the upper surface of said anvil will serve to draw both said side frame members toward said anvil, trunnions on said anvil fitting in corresponding openings in said respective side frame members, and pressure means bearing on said trunnions urging the same downwardly to reduce relative movement upon imposition of forging pressures on said anvil.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Derbyshire Nov. 4, 1913 Sherman Dec. 25, 1917 Judel Apr. 21, 1925 Cox Apr. 14, 1931 6 Stacy Sept. 3, 1935 Clouse Oct. l5 1935 Klocke Nov. 29, 1938 Loomis Mar. 18, 1947 Krupp Mar. 18, 1952 

